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Kids don’t just feel emotions—they also create stories about what those emotions mean. In this episode of Overpowering Emotions, Dr. Caroline focuses on cognitive appraisal and emotional metacognition.
You’ll learn how children interpret events, how automatic “henchmen thoughts” fuel anxiety and meltdowns, and why teaching kids to appraise situations differently can build resilience. From detective games to thought logs to chain breakers, this episode is packed with playful, practical tools to help kids spot unhelpful thinking traps, reframe them, and act in ways that reflect their values.
This conversation will help you guide them beyond “just breathe” into truly flexible, values-based thinking.
Homework Ideas
Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this podcast on Apple to help others get access to this information too! apple.co/3ysFijh
Follow Dr. Caroline
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.carolinebuzanko
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.carolinebuzanko/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dr-caroline-buzanko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCarolineBuzanko/
Website: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/
Resources: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/resources/articles-child-resilience-well-being-psychology/
Business inquiries: https://korupsychology.ca/contact-us/
Want to learn more about helping kids strengthen their emotion regulation skills and problem-solving brains while boosting their confidence, independence, and resilience? Check out my many training opportunities! https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/upcoming-events/
Kids don’t always slam doors or shout when emotions overwhelm them. Sometimes the signs are quieter—flat energy, withdrawal, or a heavy sadness that feels impossible to shift.
In this episode of Overpowering Emotions, Dr. Caroline explores the “low-energy” emotions that often get misunderstood: loneliness, sadness, disappointment, boredom, confusion, embarrassment, regret, guilt, and shame.
You’ll learn how each of these emotions sends a signal about a child’s deeper needs, why rushing to “cheer them up” backfires, and practical ways to respond with presence and connection. These quieter feelings carry just as much meaning as anger or anxiety. The goal isn’t to fix them—it’s to help kids feel safe enough to sit with them, learn from them, and eventually find their way through.
Homework Ideas:
🛠️ Be sure to grab the emotional literacy workbook https://korulearninginstitute.kit.com/emotionaliteracy
Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this podcast on Apple to help others get access to this information too! apple.co/3ysFijh
Follow Dr. Caroline
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.carolinebuzanko
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.carolinebuzanko/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dr-caroline-buzanko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCarolineBuzanko/
Website: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/
Resources: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/resources/articles-child-resilience-well-being-psychology/
Business inquiries: https://korupsychology.ca/contact-us/
Want to learn more about helping kids strengthen their emotion regulation skills and problem-solving brains while boosting their confidence, independence, and resilience? Check out my many training opportunities! https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/upcoming-events/
In this episode of Overpowering Emotions, Dr. Caroline discusses the high-energy, often “unpleasant” emotions that kids struggle with — the stormy ones like anxiety, anger, frustration, and overwhelm.
These emotions aren’t problems to fix or behaviours to shut down. They’re signals, calling for safety, connection, fairness, or skill support.
Listen in to learn how to:
Instead of teaching kids to suppress or escape emotions, this episode shows how to help them tolerate, explore, and grow through them — building self-awareness, confidence, and lasting emotional resilience.
“When we rush to fix a child’s emotion, we send the message that the feeling itself is unsafe. But when we sit with them — quietly, patiently, without solving — we teach that emotions are just part of being human. The goal isn’t to feel better right away. It’s to get better at feeling.”
🛠️ Be sure to grab the emotional literacy workbook https://korulearninginstitute.kit.com/emotionaliteracy
Homework Ideas
Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this podcast on Apple to help others get access to this information too! apple.co/3ysFijh
Follow Dr. Caroline
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.carolinebuzanko
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.carolinebuzanko/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dr-caroline-buzanko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCarolineBuzanko/
Website: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/
Resources: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/resources/articles-child-resilience-well-being-psychology/
Business inquiries: https://korupsychology.ca/contact-us/
Want to learn more about helping kids strengthen their emotion regulation skills and problem-solving brains while boosting their confidence, independence, and resilience? Check out my many training opportunities! https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/upcoming-events/
In this episode of Overpowering Emotions, Dr. Caroline explores the often-overlooked role of pleasant emotions in self-regulation. From the high-energy buzz of excitement and joy to the quiet calm of contentment and gratitude, she unpacks what these feelings signal, the needs behind them, and how adults can guide children to channel them in healthy ways.
Learn how excitement fuels motivation but can tip into dysregulation without support, why pride is a powerful pro-social emotion, and how gratitude and love deepen connection and resilience. Caroline shares practical strategies that help kids strengthen their emotional awareness and regulation skills.
Learn actionable tools to nurture children’s motivation, curiosity, and sense of belonging while reinforcing the “rest stops” of calm and contentment that every child needs.
Homework Ideas
Help kids learn to:
Channel excitement:
Savour Joy:
Reinforce Pride:
Cultivate Curiosity:
Anchor Calm & Contentment:
Encourage Gratitude & Love:
🛠️ Be sure to grab the emotional literacy workbook https://korulearninginstitute.kit.com/emotionaliteracy
Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this podcast on Apple to help others get access to this information too! apple.co/3ysFijh
Follow Dr. Caroline
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.carolinebuzanko
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.carolinebuzanko/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dr-caroline-buzanko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCarolineBuzanko/
Website: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/
Resources: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/resources/articles-child-resilience-well-being-psychology/
Business inquiries: https://korupsychology.ca/contact-us/
Want to learn more about helping kids strengthen their emotion regulation skills and problem-solving brains while boosting their confidence, independence, and resilience? Check out my many training opportunities! https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/upcoming-events/
Decoding Emotions: Helping Kids Understand What They Feel—and Why
Emotions aren't problems. They're messages. And when we teach kids how to read them, we give them a powerful tool for self-regulation, resilience, and connection.
In this episode, Dr. Caroline breaks down the difference between emotions and feelings, explore how the body and brain work together during intense emotional moments, and show you how to use tools like emotion mapping, quadrant models, and weather metaphors to build emotional awareness in kids and teens.
You’ll learn:
Plus, she introduces the four emotional quadrants (based on arousal and valence) and how to use this approach to tailor regulation strategies to what kids actually need—whether they’re storming, stuck, or shutting down.
Be sure to get the emotional literacy workbook to get started!
https://korulearninginstitute.kit.com/emotionaliteracy
Homework Ideas:
1. Emotion Mapping
Have the child or teen walk through a recent emotional situation using the 6-part mapping model:
Optional: Have them draw it out as a connected mind map to visualize the emotion cycle. Use arrows to show how one piece influenced another.
2. Use Quadrant Mapping
Introduce the Emotion Quadrants based on:
Ask:
“Where do you think you are in this chart right now?”
Then match strategies to what they need:
3. Weather Mapping Feelings
Ask:
“If your emotions were weather right now, what would they be?”
Then map feelings onto different weather types:
Helps externalize emotions and destigmatize them as natural, necessary, and manageable.
4. Emotional Awareness Reflection Prompts
Write or talk about:
Helps increase emotional granularity, which improves regulation.
Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this podcast on Apple to help others get access to this information too! apple.co/3ysFijh
Follow Dr. Caroline
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.carolinebuzanko
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.carolinebuzanko/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dr-caroline-buzanko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCarolineBuzanko/
Website: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/
Resources: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/resources/articles-child-resilience-well-being-psychology/
Business inquiries: https://korupsychology.ca/contact-us/
Want to learn more about helping kids strengthen their emotion regulation skills and problem-solving brains while boosting their confidence, independence, and resilience? Check out my many training opportunities! https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/upcoming-events/
In this powerful conversation, Dr. Caroline speaks with Dr. Shahrzad Jalali—clinical psychologist and trauma specialist—to unpack the idea of silent trauma—those unseen wounds from early childhood or minimized adult experiences that often go unacknowledged, but leave lasting emotional imprints.
Together, they explore:
This episode is essential listening for anyone working with kids, navigating their own healing, or simply wanting to understand what sits beneath the surface.
About Dr. Shahrzad Jalali
Dr. Shahrzad Jalali is a licensed clinical psychologist with a deep passion for trauma resolution, emotional resilience, and relational healing. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in helping individuals and families navigate the complexities of silent trauma—emotional wounds that often go unspoken but shape our behaviors, relationships, and well-being. Her work integrates psychoanalysis, somatic healing, and neuroscience to provide a holistic approach to mental health. She is currently working on her upcoming book, set to launch in 2025, which delves deeper into trauma healing and personal transformation.
Website: https://www.drjalaliandassociates.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahrzad-jalali-psyd-2b547320/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/alignremedy/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/people/Align-Remedy/61567336701015/
Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this podcast on Apple to help others get access to this information too! apple.co/3ysFijh
Follow Dr. Caroline
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.carolinebuzanko
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.carolinebuzanko/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dr-caroline-buzanko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCarolineBuzanko/
Website: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/
Resources: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/resources/articles-child-resilience-well-being-psychology/
Business inquiries: https://korupsychology.ca/contact-us/
Want to learn more about helping kids strengthen their emotion regulation skills and problem-solving brains while boosting their confidence, independence, and resilience? Check out my many training opportunities! https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/upcoming-events/
Emotions don’t just “happen”—they’re built on signals from the body. In this episode of Overpowering Emotions, we explore how affect—the body’s internal state—shapes what kids (and adults) feel, label, and act on. From blood sugar crashes that masquerade as anger, to dehydration that looks like anxiety, you’ll learn how body signals are often misread as emotional problems.
Discover practical strategies to help children and teens decode their body’s “dashboard lights,” build emotional literacy, and prevent misdiagnosis of mood or behavior challenges. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or mental health professional, this episode will help you shift the way you support kids who seem dysregulated for “no reason.”
Check out this video for kids to learn about their brain/body budget: https://youtu.be/yCxstApZsP0
✅ Daily Body Budget Check-ins
✅ Battery Analogy
✅ Hydration + Snack Routine
✅ Sleep Reset
Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this podcast on Apple to help others get access to this information too! apple.co/3ysFijh
Follow Dr. Caroline
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.carolinebuzanko
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.carolinebuzanko/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dr-caroline-buzanko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCarolineBuzanko/
Website: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/
Resources: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/resources/articles-child-resilience-well-being-psychology/
Business inquiries: https://korupsychology.ca/contact-us/
Want to learn more about helping kids strengthen their emotion regulation skills and problem-solving brains while boosting their confidence, independence, and resilience? Check out my many training opportunities! https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/upcoming-events/
In this episode of Overpowering Emotions, Dr. Caroline zeroes in on emotional literacy as an essential foundation of all self-regulation. From everyday behaviours to big emotional outbursts, the ability to name and understand emotions changes everything.
Learn why kids often shut down, spiral, or explode when they don’t have the right words—and how to build their emotional vocabulary in ways that are playful, specific, and powerful.
You’ll walk away with real-world tools and creative strategies to support kids at every stage.
Learn what you need to help kids feel, name, and regulate emotions—so they can build confidence, connection, and resilience.
Homework Ideas & Resources
Daily Feelings Check-Ins
Using a visual, like a feelings wheel or emojis, ask:
· How do you feel right now?
· How do you know?
Resource: use the feels wheel, emotions list, or emojis in the emotional literacy resource book
Build an Emotion Word Wall
Start with basic categories (mad, sad, happy, scared). Then expand with synonyms and nuance (e.g., “annoyed,” “resentful,” “embarrassed,” “overwhelmed”). Ask kids to:
· Sort words by intensity
· Compare synonyms (What’s the difference between nervous and uneasy?)
· Add new words they discover in books, music, or real life
Emotion Detective Journal
Each day, kids track:
· One emotion they felt
· What may have triggered it
· What they noticed in their body, thoughts, and behaviour
· What helped, what didn’t
This supports emotional tracking and self-awareness over time.
Check out the Emotional Literacy Resource to help you with each of these activities (https://korulearninginstitute.kit.com/emotionalliteracy)
Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this podcast on Apple to help others get access to this information too! apple.co/3ysFijh
Follow Dr. Caroline
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.carolinebuzanko
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.carolinebuzanko/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dr-caroline-buzanko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCarolineBuzanko/
Website: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/
Resources: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/resources/articles-child-resilience-well-being-psychology/
Business inquiries: https://korupsychology.ca/contact-us/
Want to learn more about helping kids strengthen their emotion regulation skills and problem-solving brains while boosting their confidence, independence, and resilience? Check out my many training opportunities! https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/upcoming-events/
Emotions aren’t just “big feelings” — they’re information.
In this episode of Overpowering Emotions Dr. Caroline breaks down the building blocks of affect, emotions, feelings, and moods to show why understanding the differences matters for kids’ self-regulation.
Learn how the brain interprets emotional signals, why emotions guide survival and decision-making, and how pleasant and unpleasant emotions both play a role in resilience. You’ll walk away with a clearer map for helping children (and yourself) move from overwhelmed to informed by emotional experiences.
Homework Ideas
Boosting Pleasant Moods Journal: Each day, have kids write or draw one moment of pleasant emotions. Talk about how it gave them energy for learning or connecting.
Behaviour vs Emotion Reflection: When a child engages in a behaviour, separate it from emotion: “It makes sense your body wanted to slam the door when you were angry. Anger’s job is to protect. Let’s find another way to do that.”
Brain Mapping: Help kids recognize the connections between thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, and show how their brain can be “rewired” to respond differently over time.
before you even think. Your prefrontal cortex can calm it down—but only if you
practice sending it the right messages. We’re going to map how your brain
reacts, and then practice rewiring it.”
Have kids fill them in whenever they experienced strong emotions. Guide with
prompts like: “When did your amygdala set off the alarm this week?”
Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this podcast on Apple to help others get access to this information too! apple.co/3ysFijh
Follow Dr. Caroline
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.carolinebuzanko
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.carolinebuzanko/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dr-caroline-buzanko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCarolineBuzanko/
Website: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/
Resources: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/resources/articles-child-resilience-well-being-psychology/
Business inquiries: https://korupsychology.ca/contact-us/
Want to learn more about helping kids strengthen their emotion regulation skills and problem-solving brains while boosting their confidence, independence, and resilience? Check out my many training opportunities! https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/upcoming-events/
Teen years are a time of big feelings, strong peer influence, and still-developing self-control.
In this episode of Overpowering Emotions, Dr. Caroline explores how peers can be powerful allies in helping kids and teens strengthen self-regulation.
From co-regulation strategies and group skill-building to peer mentoring and conflict resolution practice, discover how friendships and social dynamics can support emotional growth. Find practical ways to harness peer influence in building resilience, impulse control, and healthy relationships.
Homework Ideas:
Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this podcast on Apple to help others get access to this information too! apple.co/3ysFijh
Follow Dr. Caroline
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.carolinebuzanko
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.carolinebuzanko/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dr-caroline-buzanko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCarolineBuzanko/
Website: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/
Resources: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/resources/articles-child-resilience-well-being-psychology/
Business inquiries: https://korupsychology.ca/contact-us/
Want to learn more about helping kids strengthen their emotion regulation skills and problem-solving brains while boosting their confidence, independence, and resilience? Check out my many training opportunities! https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/upcoming-events/
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